Rocky Linux
Rocky Linux is a community-led Linux distribution designed to be 100% compatible with Enterprise Linux, allowing easy migration from existing Enterprise Linux installations. It aims to continue the legacy of the CentOS project.
Rocky Linux: Community-Led Linux Distribution for Enterprise Compatibility
A 100% compatible Linux distribution with easy migration from existing Enterprise Linux, continuing the legacy of CentOS project.
What is Rocky Linux?
Rocky Linux is a Linux distribution built from the source code of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). It is intended to provide a drop-in replacement for RHEL and the discontinued CentOS, allowing organizations to migrate existing workloads with minimal disruption.
Some key facts about Rocky Linux:
- Launched in 2021 after Red Hat announced the end-of-life for CentOS Linux 8
- Built as a community project by CentOS contributors and other open source advocates
- Uses the same build system and source code as RHEL, adjusted only to remove trademarks
- Binary compatible with RHEL, allowing easy migration of systems and applications
- Backed by community support through forums, chat, documentation, and conferences
- Offered completely free without a paid support model like RHEL
- Updated on a regular cadence to track each RHEL minor release
- Supported through at least 2029 with the possibility of further extensions
Overall, Rocky Linux aims to continue the reliable and stable base that CentOS provided, while adding expanded community engagement and an improved build infrastructure.
Rocky Linux Features
Features
- Based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux source code
- Binary compatible with RHEL
- Supports multiple architectures like x86_64, ARM64, PowerPC, etc
- Uses YUM as default package manager
- Provides Long Term Support (LTS) versions
- Includes security and bug fixes
- Has community support through forums, chat, etc
- Easy migration from RHEL and CentOS
Pricing
- Open Source
Pros
No cost open source alternative to RHEL
Stable and reliable for enterprise use
Large ecosystem of compatible software
Familiar environment for RHEL/CentOS users
Active community support
Long term support for versions
Cons
Lacks official support from Red Hat
Smaller community and developer base than larger distros
Limited number of pre-built packages compared to Fedora/Ubuntu
Dependent on RHEL release cycle and changes
Official Links
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